The Gentry Gazette SIRing with Love

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Covering the J.A. Gentry Family to SIR with Love (To Salute, Inspire, and Reinforce)

Volume 2, Number 2 February 29, 2012

Ice Breaker

Wherever I May Go

You’re in my thoughts and in my heart Wherever I may go;

On Valentine’s Day, I’d like to say I care more than you know.

By Joanna Fuchs

(Image, retrieved from http://www.aclaimimages.com/_gallery/_image_pages/0497-1201-14--0314.html ; poem, retrieved from http://www.poemsource.com/valentine-poems.html ) -------------------------------------------------

Contents *Announcements/Revelation (Gentry Family JASS Reunion 2012; what JASS is all about) *Reunion Logistics:

-Cabot Lodge at Millsaps is Host Hotel -Schedule of Main Events -Reunion Helper of the Month (Regina puts expertise to the test)

*Input/Feedback (Thanks, a penny for your thoughts) *Sympathy Expressions/Get-Well Wishes (Mica’s grandmother/To Henry, Jerry) *2012 is a Leap Year: What Makes it Jump?

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*Keep the Wheels in the Family (Jerry’s command) *Put a Little Humor in Your Day (Eddie Moore gets you going) *SIRing with Love (Did you know?) *House/Family Keeping (Be a Gazette Contributor, W-T-R a Story) *Classified (Luther makes available Whitney Houston’s Obituary) *The Gentry Gazette Live (Illustration of the Month, Ressia Hicks displays talent) ----------------------------------------------------------

Announcements

-J. A. Gentry Family JASS Reunion, July 6-8, 2012; what “JASS” is all about The J is for Jackson, as in Jackson, MS, the capital city of Mississippi (See Gazette No 3);

The A is for Atlanta, as in Atlanta, GA, the capital city of Georgia (See Gazette No 4); The first S is for Smyrna, as in Smyrna, GA (See Gazette No 5); The second S is for Southaven, as in Southaven, MS (See Gazette Vol 2, No 1)

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Reunion Logistics: -Cabot Lodge at Millsaps is Host Hotel: 2375 North State St. Jackson, MS, 601-948-8650; 800-874-4737; cabotlodgejacksonnorth.com (See Gazette Vol 2, No 1 for the many amenities that the facility offers and other relevant information). -Schedule of Main Events: Major events for the reunion are presented with a theme concept. Come prepared for fun, fellowship, and food like you have never had before.

• July 6, 2012, Friday Night – “JASS under the Stars.” The Cabot Lodge meeting room will portray a celestial body. Be a star or watch the stars.

• July 7, 2012, Saturday – “Hay Day in the Country.” It begins with the guys preparing breakfast for the women and children (this is not a misprint). There will be games and activities (the best person gets the medal). The picnic will remind you of what country eating is all about.

• July 7, 2012, Saturday Night – “A Walk in the Moon Light.” The Cabot Lodge meeting room will get you ever so close to the moon. All left for you will be to walk, march, dance, or simply step on lunar surface.

• July 8, 2012, Sunday – “A Time of Praise.” Everyone will be invited to worship together at a local church. Brunch will follow at the Cabot Lodge where a rap-up gathering and picture-taking session will conclude the reunion.

Look to future issues of the Gazette for details on the major events for the reunion. But as a prelude, get braced to eye a “real” queen and witness a one-man marching band. -Reunion Helper of the Month: Regina Blackman talked with family members about possible venues, menus and activities for the family reunion. She went back to her computer and put all of her professional expertise to work. The girl came up with a spreadsheet like none we had seen before. So happy to have her on the team!!! ---------------------------------------------------

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Input/Feedback (Thanks, a penny for your thoughts) -Eddie B. Moore of Brandon, MS: “I received ‘The Gentry Gazette.’ Great Job! I enjoyed reading it and at the same time being updated on different family members. Keep it up!” ---------------------------------------------------

Sympathy Expressions/Get-Well Wishes (Mica’s grandmother/ To Henry, Jerry)

The Family offers it heartfelt sympathy to Mica Gentry of Atlanta, GA in the passing of

her grandmother, Mrs. Cornelia Walker. She succumbed on February 19 and was funeralized February 25, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA. Mica was able to attend the funeral.

The Family extends cheers and get-well wishes to: -Henry Dawkins of Chesapeake, VA who continues to convalesce from his surgery and illness. Annie Mae said that he is a tad bit better and is talking more. His sister Mary Jackson stayed with him for nearly a month. -Jerry Gentry, Sr. of Germantown, TN recently traveled to Houston, TX for some outpatient medical care. He said that he is better than what he was. ---------------------------------------------

2012 is a Leap Year: What Makes it Jump?

Upcoming Leap Day: 29 February, 2012

A leap year consists of 366 days, as opposed to a common year, which has 365 days. During Leap Years, we add a Leap Day, an extra – or intercalary – day on February 29. Nearly every 4 years is a Leap Year in our modern Gregorian Calendar.

Leap Years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days (a tropical year) to circle once around the Sun. Julius Caesar introduced Leap Years in the Roman Empire over 2000 years ago, but the Julian calendar had only one rule: any year evenly divisible by 4 would be a leap year. This lead to way too many leap years, but didn't get corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar more than 1500 years later.

(Retrieved from http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html ) ---------------------------------------------------------------

Keep the Wheels in the Family (Jerry’s command) Jerry Gentry, Sr., the firstborn of the late Coy and Beatrice’s ten children, seemed to have always had a fascination with wheels. He could roll with anything that had wheels. So as farm life was modernized at Noxapater, Jerry discovered an old wagon that had three (3) wheels left on it. He took them back to Tunica with him and made them major collection items. When he retired from the school system there was no place for the wheels at his and Nita’s Germantown home. He informed us of his dilemma, but said that he wanted the wheels to stay in the family and thought that the Country Squire may be the place for them. We made

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arrangements to pick up the wheels only to find out that Jerry was out of town at the time. But we have resolved to get and keep them in the family. “Keep the wheels in the family” could serve as a guide and a shield for the family. An acrostic was formed to illustrate what can happen in the family if members put wheels on life’s road in a manner as Jerry does: W – Work hard to support the family as they journey through life (Jerry has 50 years under his belt) H – Have compassion to make for a peaceful, fun-loving ride (Jerry cares for all and vice versa) E – Eat healthy, nutritious food for sake of the body (Jerry brought home the best watermelons) E – Embrace Christian principles (Jerry has always been active in the church) L – Learn all you can to better yourself and society (Jerry was knocking of the doctorate door) S – Stay together, let love keep us together (Jerry is there for the family, celebrations/sickness, etc.) --------------------------------------------------------------

Put a Little Humor in Your Day (Eddie Moore gets you going) THIS IS PRICELESS!! Subject: TEACHER INTERVIEW (EH) After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said - Let me see if I've got this right: You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride. You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams. You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps. You want me to do all this and then you tell me................. 'I CAN'T PRAY?' ----------------------------------------------------------

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SIRing with Love (Did you know?) Birthday Celebration: -Reggie Gentry of Atlanta, GA, accompanied by wife Mica, celebrated his February 18 birthday with a trip to Jamaica. Mother-in-law Rosa Jones (Gregory), an airline agent, helped to arrange the flight. They really enjoyed swimming at the resort. Family members are making good of every day: -Wright, Sherry (daughter of the late Irving, Sr. and Oceola Moore) of Atlanta, GA, was cohost with her sister (Judith Moore Lyon) of the Christmas dinner in Noxapater. She labeled it a wonderful event. Sherry and Charlie Wright are the parents of Charance Irving, Chaz Spencer and Francine Gray. -Wright, Charance Irving is in the 12th grade at Solid Rock Academy, Fayetteville, GA. -Wright, Chaz Spencer is in the 9th grade at Solid Rock Academy. He celebrated his 14th birthday on February 10. -Wright, Francine Gray is a sophomore at Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA. -Wiseman, Reshoda (daughter of the late Irving, Sr. and Oceola Moore) and husband Dr. Corey Wiseman of Olive Branch, MS are the parents of Tory and Blaire Oceola). -Moore, Irving, Jr. (son of the late Irving, Sr. and Oceola Moore) of Collinsville, MS and wife Carolyn are the parents of Chrystal, Cheryl and Gary. -Moore, Chrystal is a graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans, LA. -Moore, Cheryl is a nurse at Anderson Medical Center in Meridian, MS. -Moore, Gary resides in Noxapater, MS. -Heidelberg, Naundra (daughter of Judith Moore Lyon) resides in Jonesboro, GA. She has three children: Victor, Van and Voston). -Moore, Eddie B. of Brandon, MS traveled to Oakland, CA during the holidays to visit her son David. Her daughter is Sandra. -Moore, David does research for handicapped students at Berkeley University. -Moore, Sandra is a university professor of psychology. -Barnett, Florence of Noxapater is held in high esteem. Eddie said that Florence is doing great work with Teaching Mission and she is mighty proud of her.

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-Ellis, Lenary Gentry of Jackson traveled to Houston, TX in January to spend some time with daughter Kristin. She and Harvey are also the parents of Tanya and grandparents of Darreille. -Tanya of New Orleans, LA is working at the juvenile detention center there in the city. -Kristin is team leader at ServCorp in Houston, TX. -Darreille is in the 6th grade at International School of Louisiana in New Orleans. -Harvey is loan officer with Magnolia Federal Credit Union in Jackson. -Clark, Helen Shields of Preston, MS is keeping busy when the weather permits, working in her flower yard and garden, and just doing things around the house. She extended a most cordial invitation to visit with her. She is the parent of Kelvin, Selvain, Seljyno, Shantrice, Deshonda, and Pascal. -Kelvin of Memphis, TN does construction work in the city. -Selvain of Columbus, MS is Chief of police. -Seljyno Brown of Memphis, is a policeperson there. -Shantrice Smith of Durant, MS, is a nurse. -Deshonda McClendon of Louisville, MS, is a school teacher. -Pascal of Preston, is supervisor of hard count at the casino in Philadelphia, MS. -Hicks, Mheki, son of Eugene and Ressia and brother of Makaila, of Southaven, MS is 6 years old. He scored 3 points in a basketball game at the Y. His family is so proud that he won’t have to do house chores in a month!! -Luther and Ruth Gentry Williams of Long Beach, CA attended the Jackson State University National Alumni mid-winter conference in Jackson. They are staunch supporters of the university. -Lepolian and Ethel Gentry also attended the JSU alumni conference. They like Jackson State and Jackson State likes them. -Ruben, accompanied by wife Bessie, traveled to Baton Rouge, LA to present a paper at the National Association of African Americans Studies Conference (NAAAS). His co-presenter was sociologist J. Vern Cromartie from Contra Costa College, San Pablo, CA. They checked out the Mall of Louisiana while there. --------------------------------------------------------

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House/Family Keeping (Be a Gazette Contributor, W-T-R a Story)

Please help to make the Gazette what you would have it to be. You are encouraged to WRITE a story (email it to Rubo545@gmail.com), TELL a story (dial 601-982-2684 and talk to the Mouse Piece of the Gazette), or REQUEST a story (contact the Mouse Piece, he will take instructions from you, conduct research, and draft the story) for an upcoming edition of the newsletter. The story could be just what is needed to make a real difference in the life of Family members! --------------------------------------------------------

Classified (Luther makes available Whitney Houston’s Obituary)

-Luther Williams made available to some the Whitney Houston obituary. What a loss to the African American community and the world. (If you would like to see the obituary contact the Gazette.)

The Gentry Gazette Live (Illustration of the Month, Ressia Hicks displays her talent)

It was reported that big sister Regina Gentry Blackman wanted to give her dining room table a face lift. She requested little sister Ressia Hicks to give her ideas about what could be done. The above is one of three illustrations that she sent to Regina. Hats off to a future family artist!

(Please provide something for inclusion in this section for the next publication. This could become an exciting and inspirational part of the newsletter).

----------------------------------------------------- Bottom Line: Help to make the Family SIR with love.

For comments, contact JASS Staff, 601.982-2684